Forget Vitamin C. This Other “Vitamin” Helps To Prevent Colds And Flus

Add it to your supplement list.

If you’re one of those who consumes a handful of supplements daily, you might rejoice over this piece of news. There’s a vitamin that has been found to be able to prevent colds and flus – and it’s not vitamin C.

Rather, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that vitamin D, which is a hormone produced when you’re exposed to the sun, can help prevent infections. This is because it helps the body produce antimicrobial peptides to combat infections.

The study done by researchers at the Queen Mary University of London ran 25 trials on 11,321 people to test the effect of vitamin D supplements on preventing respiratory tract infections, including colds and flus, and found that for every 33 people who consumed the supplements, one would not be infected.

The researchers also found that those who consumed the supplements regularly – on a daily or weekly basis – saw more effectiveness compared to those who took a large dose every month.